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Filed under: Etc., Safety, Technology

“Death by GPS” – Click above to watch video after the jump

Recently, we learned that sixth-generation Chevrolet Corvettes are out to get us, and now it seems that our beloved GPS has turned on us. Consumer Reports calls it “Death by GPS”, and it’s a term that refers to folks who wind up in dangerous or fatal situations because they blindly follow the directions provided by their electronic navigational aid.

A Canadian couple was recently in the news when their GPS led them astray and into a remote part of Northern Nevada. The husband set out for help while the wife remained with their vehicle for seven weeks until being discovered (still alive) by a group of hunters.

We live in an age where we rely quite heavily on the technology around us. It’s no surprise then that we put blind faith in our personal devices, yet we should take a step back to see them for what they really are. The GPS is a tool to aid with navigation, yet it’s not an infallible machine. Data (and a clear line of sight to orbiting satellites) is a major requirement for a navigation unit to function at its best. More remote areas have less data because of the infrequent amount of traffic they receive, thus a navigation unit would have less information with which to provide feedback.

If you’re behind the wheel of a vehicle, and you’re heading into unfamiliar territory, it’s a good idea to remember that your navigation system is part of a team. Your brain should also be part of that team. Click past the jump to watch a CBS News clip discussing the “Death by GPS” phenomenon.

Continue reading Stranded Canadian couple latest victims of “Death by GPS”

Stranded Canadian couple latest victims of “Death by GPS” originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 May 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Europe, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz

Driving the Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Tour

Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Tour

Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Tour – Click above for high-res image gallery

Stealing a scene from the Jetsons, our little fluorescent green sedan zooms down the Autobahn at triple-digit speeds, puffing little white plumes of water vapor in its turbulent wake. While this animated family of the future cruised in a bubble-top “capsule car” (it folded conveniently into a briefcase, if you recall), we are whisking through Europe in a hydrogen-powered B-Class F-Cell.

The prime-time Jetsons sitcom was penned by artists in a Hanna-Barbera animation studio in the early 1960s. Not so our transport. The compact F-Cell was engineered and built by the team at Mercedes-Benz – the same German company credited with building the world’s first combustion-powered automobile 125 years ago. This morning, the automaker is leading the charge to introduce the world to hydrogen as it feels the clean technology is finally mature enough for widespread use. Engaging the media to drive its point home, the company has launched an around-the-globe excursion called, appropriately enough, the “Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Tour.” We’ve been invited to take the wheel during the first leg to Paris, starting at the company’s headquarters in Germany.

Continue reading How the Mercedes-Benz F-Cell left us both stranded and impressed…

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Tour

Continue reading How the Mercedes-Benz F-Cell left us both stranded and impressed

How the Mercedes-Benz F-Cell left us both stranded and impressed originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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